Last week, Microsoft bigwig Shane Kim claimed that portable Xbox gaming was a matter of "when." Despite this, videogame analyst and dangerous shaman Michael Pachter has discounted the idea of a handheld Microsoft console, at least in the current market.
"I don't see Microsoft as being competitive in handheld gaming," explains the man who can crush coal into diamonds. "The Zune has been a commercial disaster, and their core Xbox consumer is too old to carry a handheld gaming device.
"The DS skews very young, the iPhone very old, and the PSP in between. Microsoft would have to take the PSP and the iPhone on in order to succeed. I don't see this happening in the foreseeable future."
Ouch. Harsh words indeed, especially the Zune stuff. What do you reckon? Is Pachter on the money here, or would Microsoft have a good chance of succeeding if it attempted to take on the PSP and iPhone?
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
5:00 PM on 07.22.2009
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Anyways, analysts ... bah!
But, if the shifts from last generation to this have suggested anything, its that things like this can happen. If MS were to release a handheld, I'd take a floating guess at it doing 'well'. Throw some good games on it, add this, add that...Yeah. MS could quite easily draw in a nice healthy profit from it.
To Pachters comments, how does one become too old for a handheld?? Do you eventually become so old you never leave the house?? At what age does this happen??
OMG you are so right! It would be amazing to get your gamertag onto the device and stuff so you can still be in touch on XBLA... kinda like a dummed down handheld 360 that only plays XBLA and other live enabled games... plus whatever type of game cartridge or tiny CD the device would use to play its exclusive content.
We are talking Microsoft here, they take on everyone with anything.
Google - Bing (windows live search)
iPod - Zune
Playstation - Xbox
The only venture there that succeded was the xbox (although the Zune HD looks great) so regardless of probability of success MS will always try.
He is right about quite a lot of things, I would imagine that's why he gets paid the big bucks.
I don't really give a shit what anyone says I don't mind the man, whenever I watch him on the Bonus Round or whatever else he tends to speaks more sense than a hell of a lot of other people and he's quite funny.
Wow, this stupid PSP "isnt doing well" argument is pretty old and tired, last I checked, any game platform that sold some 50million units was NOT in the "not doing well" category. Seriously. Just because it didnt sell as many units as the DS does NOT mean its not doing well, by the same account you can say the 360 is "not doing well" which is a damn lie. Some of you people in this blog are hilarious in how you see things.
There is definitely room for improving for all three current handhelds.
Sorry, but this one was a fail.
Peripherally speaking: Novint Falcon
ESA sues Chicago Transport Authority over game ad bans
Dear Telltale: I love you, but ...
Michael Pachter BLOBLOO BLEE BLU BLOH BLEEEHH
Of course, then I click the post and add a comment, witch was just what Jim wanted. DAMMIT!
He queries what audience it would be catering to? I'd say it'll wait a generation and then launch in direct competition with the PSP, Microsoft have oft followed in Sony's footsteps and I doubt this would be a supremely different case. I'd also go so far as to predict that they'll be content to tread water in the first generation of thei handle, much as they did with the original Xbox. Microsoft are used to biding their time experimenting.
Also, those saying that the PSP 'isn't doing well and you'd be splitting a demographic', think on this: the only reason the PSP 'isn't doing well' (which you could translate as not as well as the DS) is it's initial lack of truely stellar games off the bat, and lacklustre first party support.
Great games have trickled onto the DS whereas they have flooded onto the DS, so you have both the casuals and the hardcore buying DS'. If the next generation PSP launches with a stronger line up and continues it it will do better, as will an Xbox handheld. The problem is that Sony have literally treated the PSP as a mini PS2, without considering it as a handheld first and foremost.
Sorry, that post ended up far longer and hot winded than I intended.
The header image changed from MS paint stuff!
Quite frankly, Pachter talks to much. The Zune has been more successful than the PSP, and UMD sales prove that quite well to say the least.
@Onlineatron; just the other day I was thinking how Microsoft can't seem to stop itself from wanting to compete with Google and Apple on every single front. So I agree with your logic completely.
Oh and remember folks, the original xbox doesn't RROD.
It's the best media player I've played with and one of my favorite mobile technology devices ever.
Buy Zunes.
Of course people analyse ideas before there are specs etc. Any modern company must decide whether there is a market of consumers for a product before they decide on specifications and features. Companies dont just come up with cool ideas and then realise 'oh, no one wants one of these' (at least, not these days!). They have to secure money internally to prototype their plans, and if they cannot demonstrate the potential success of their products it will not get made (i am sure there are a few exceptions but this is the general rule). Henceforth analysts, who are trained professionals who are able to accurately interpret existing figures to provide assessment of future trends, are often well-placed to make constructive comment on the likely success of a given venture.
Oh, and you got your cliches mixed up. It is 'long winded' and 'hot air'. Not 'hot winded'. Idiot.
While I appreciate your trolling me, you somewhat miss my point and also appear to have mixed up Research and Development with the job of an analyst. I never said in my post that people SHOULDN'T analyse ideas before there are specs - but the way Pachetr's analysis comes across he's hardly analysing the idea - rather making assumptions. An example being:
'Their core Xbox consumer is too old to carry a handheld gaming device'
Who's to say that Microsoft wont market their handheld console at a younger audience? Hell, I don't even agree with him that the average Xbox consumer is 'too old to carry a handheld gaming device' regardless.
Microsoft have revealed little other than the fact that there potentially will be an Xbox portable. Pachter has nothing to go on, even the best analyst needs more than this to provide an accurate assessment. By all means predict and analyse what market they'll be aiming for but don't be so bullish and naive as to predict how well it will do at this stage.
Also, Hot-winded and Long-winded are different things and neither are cliches, though I'm curious to see why you think a word on its own can be a cliche. Regardless even if they weren't the English language is mercifully loose enough to allow hyphenisation of any two vaguely related words you might choose.
The only way to really make consumers want it and to make it a success would be to bring something new to the table, however that will prove difficult when two competing products are in the middle of their life cycle, and the third is still somewhat in its infancy, and all of them are pretty cutting edge in terms of features/price and software library.
If M$ wants to release a handheld gaming system they need to get their heads out of their asses and start heavy research and planning. They need to read blogs, and forums, and magazines, and they need to talk to industry professionals, and gamers. They need to learn what people want (NOT what M$ wants, THAT comes as reward when you make consumers HAPPY and have a solid business model), and they need to start scheming on how to deliver it when the time comes.
When is a good time? In about 2-4 years I'd say, when the DS and PSP start showing their age, and when the technology gets better and cheaper enough to warrant a new product. See, at that point the PSP's, DS's, and iPhones, will be "stuck with what they had years ago" in terms of 90% of their hardware design... so a new platform will have a great opportunity to show itself off. THIS is M$'s time to strike! It wouldn't hurt to have some industry spies hired to sniff out possible announcements from their competitors, it would damage M$ if Sony or Nintendo announce/release their next products before them (esp if they are better).
We know M$ is great at getting developers on their side. They throw money at them and buy up their souls by the moonload, and their devkits are always a pleasure to work with (relatively speaking). M$ CAN get people to develop for them, that will not be a problem. Timing is critical, and the unfortunately now is not the time.
Personally, I have some hopes for my dream handheld:
Think PSPgo+DS+iTouch... bear with me. It's a flip open system like the DS... except it uses wide aspect screens like the PSP (except these should be AMOLED), and both are touch screen. The bottom half has a sliding open surface that reveals physical controls like the PSPgo, except the positioning is wider and has support for dual analog sticks.
The device comes with onboard flash memory, and supports microSD cards for expansion. It also has WiFi, and bluetooth. Of course basics like speakers and a headphone jack will be present, as well as a built in microphone.
Software is delivered digitally either over WiFi or via USB+Sync software (like iTunes for buying apps and syncing to iTouch/Phone). If you like to shop at real stores, they will still sell games... but how? Instead of cartridges or cd's they'll sell gamecards, kinda like ones you'd buy for World of Warcraft if you didn't feel like paying online with a credit card. The gamecards will be packaged in slim cardboard sleeves with width/height of a regular game box, and will sport standard box art (and will have rfid's inside for antitheft).
The system will sport a high density lithium ion battery, and will support power profiles to maximize battery life, such as powerdown for WiFi, screen brightness, etc.. (maybe even underclocking like PSP with CFW).
Instead of a regular USB plug it will have a proprietary port with expanded capability like the iPhone. This plug, with the help of an adapter, will split in to USB, A/V, and power charge functions. USB will support external controllers, and A/V will support output to TV's in wide aspect 480p. These features will make the system very flexible and will allow people to play it at home on their big screen with a comfortable controller, or on the go like we're used to with our handhelds now.
That's all the general hardware I'd love to see, but of course I'm also expecting some great software to run this baby. Something sexy, simple, easy to use, and flexible for future developments.
So there it is, I'm not holding my breath though. It's just some food for thought for you all :)
What defines the demographic more than the platform is the software released for it, but software can always take a new direction. M$ is trying to broaden its horizons already (where have you been?). Nintendo changed the market with the Wii. Sony are the only ones fapping too much in their pools of money to realize they are being too narrow minded (ok ok some points to them for LBG, although it's not like they developed it).